Chapter 12 - 12 (1/2)
”Yeah, if you can fix it. Go for it.” I said and everyone knew I had lost it. However, to my surprise, a thin wave of golden light washed over us. To be more specific, across the cabin walls and down the bird.
{”Done!”} The sweet voice chirped. The rotors roared to life and I felt the G-forces shift again and I could hear cheering run through the cabin before it was drowned in the sweet, sweet, chorus of beating propellers. The radios came to life as the rest of the birds checked in. Everyone with us.
[”System rebooted. Warning, cannot connect to Battlenet. System switching to localized mode.”] And the joy was killed again. All the cheers died away as I was sure we all got the same warning. While our team were the only ones with OTADs, regular marines had a cheaper and simplified version that just helped with communications, calculations, and tracking. All of them were connected to the Battlenet. If none of us could connect to the largest and most advanced network in the world... We may not be in our world anymore.
”Hey, you there?” I asked. No one responded. ”The one who was just humming.”
{”Ah, me. Yes, sorry. Thought you were talking to someone else.”} She giggled. {”How can I help you? Its been a while since I last talked to someone since.... Nevermind. What can I do you for?”}
I had a bad feeling about this, but...
”Could you tell me where I am?” I asked.
{”Don't know. The land changed while I'd been asleep.”} She said just as chirpy.
”I mean, am I on Earth?” I asked as I turned to the bay door just in time to see the sea began to shrink as it was replaced by sandy beaches and grasslands.
{”Oh! You're from Earth?! So - Wait, no. Question first.”} She laughed. I felt whatever this voice was, it may not have been a stable one. {”You're not on Earth. You're on my world now. The names for it change a lot, so just think of it as 'Not-Earth'. Kay? Kay.”} The voice chuckled before the humming returned.
”So-” I was about to ask another question before she stopped.
{”Oh, and you guys just disturbed a dragon. Annnnd-”} I didn't get to hear the rest as a large roar filled the air as the osprey banked. Warnings blared from the c.o.c.kpit and as a large wall of bright red scales crossed the open bay. The pilots cursed loud and finally, the marines spurred themselves into action. Each put them rifles to the ready and the gunner on the ramp opened up on the HMG at whatever that was.
Another roar sounded. Fire burned across the rear and the gunner was gone. The pilots cursed even louder as the osprey shuddered. There was a loud explosion. The bird rocked and shuddered before it I felt the G-forces shift again.
”Hey, can you help us?!” I screamed.
{”No.”} She replied soft, but not with the mirth she had before. {”Not for free that is. The first time was to fix someone else's f.u.c.k up.”}
”Fine!” I roared. ”I'll give you whatever or do whatever! Get us on the ground alive!”
{”Deal accepted~!”} She sang. {”But just know you already have a lot of dead. The dragon just took out two of your fancy helicopters.”} Accompanied with that heads up were explosions and the pilots calling out the loss of our gunship, and the MV by it.